


The People we Hate

by Rogue_Mutt



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2021-01-24 08:01:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21334894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rogue_Mutt/pseuds/Rogue_Mutt
Summary: After another long day of her duties, Undyne needs a drink. But what she really needs is someone to talk to. She didn't imagine that someone would be one of the skeleton brothers.Takes place in the Underfell AU.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	The People we Hate

> The room got quieter when Undyne walked into Grillby’s. Conversations ceased and all eyes were turned to her. They followed her as she walked slowly to the bar. Her boots made hollow thuds with each step and rattled her armor. Everyone seated at the bar immediately stood up and looked for another seat, even though the restaurant was filled tonight.
> 
> When she finally made it to the bar, she took a seat at the middle, already unstrapping her plated gauntlets. The pair was unceremoniously dropped on the counter with a dull thud while she reached for her black-steel helm. With one smooth motion she removed it and shook her blood-red hair. An ugly scar showed where her left eye should be, and she scratched the inside of her empty socket. She deftly hid her scar with the eyepatch she kept wrapped around her neck, tying it so it was firmly in place. The temptation to remove the rest of her armor would have to wait until she came home in Waterfall, she was only on a short break right now.
> 
> Grillby himself stood silently behind the bar, watching silently through a crystal-clear pair of glasses. He wore his usual sharp suit over a heavy winter jacket and his favorite deathly blank expression. His skin was burning fire, glowing dark purple rather than bright orange. Despite his anatomy, the air surrounding him felt surprisingly cold. Most monsters knew that would quickly change if he ever got mad, even the slightest agitation would be felt. He was wiping a clean glass with an even cleaner rag, obviously polishing it just to kill time.
> 
> Undyne thought it was high time she gave him something to do. “Sake. Now.” Her tone was less of a demand than it was a growl. Whether Grillby was at all threatened by it was a mystery, but it seemed to get him moving. His hands were deft as he pulled out the sake bottle and heated up the alcohol inside. Her sake was already ready before she had the chance to tell him to hurry up.
> 
> The bottle was fancy, with beautiful painting on the delicate ceramic, too ornate for her liking. Steam wafted from the opened end like breaths on a chilled atmosphere and a neatly tied rag was wrapped around for her to hold onto the bottle. Grillby set the tiny cup next to the bottle, almost as ornate as the bottle itself with a thing gold plating around the edges. He stared at her with that enigmatic expression, no doubt wondering if she’d have her drink the proper way this time.
> 
> The proper way to drink sake was to pour from the hot bottle onto the cup, savoring the warm flavors like wine or tea perhaps. Undyne – if anything at all – was an improper woman, so she drank her sake the improper way. She pushed the cup aside and reached for the bottle. Even as the almost boiling alcohol started to burn her throat, she drank it as if she had nothing to drink for days.
> 
> In moments she almost slammed the bottle down, steam rushing out of her open lips. She glared at Grillby, silently daring him to call her “improper.” As expected, he said nothing. He simply took the bottle, refilled it with fresh sake, and set it down in front of her.
> 
> She had to admit, Grillby worked like a real professional. She wasn’t going to say it to him even if it were her dying words, of course. Instead, she wordlessly reached for the bottle and finished it as quick as the last. Once more, he had another bottle ready for her and she finished it as efficiently as the first bottle.
> 
> “More.” She said with a puff of steam.
> 
> Grillby took the bottle and made a motion as though to pour while shaking his head. He thinks that’s an excuse.
> 
> “Well then get more!” Her fist slammed the bar table and even gave out a loud _crack_.
> 
> Dead silence filled the room as Grillby stared at the large crack on the bar table. The room had noticeably gotten warmer. He stared at Undyne wordlessly with a tight grip on the empty bottle. She put on her most ferocious and terrifying glare, staring into the specs of the fiery figure. When she saw how little her glare was doing, she was tempted for a moment to immediately apologize and offer to pay for the damages right then and there. But years of discipline trained her to hold her ground. In this world, you’re either weak or tough. And if you ever try to act tough, you always have to follow through, or else turn to dust.
> 
> But it goes both ways, and Grillby was in his own restaurant surrounded by a full house. Undyne didn’t need to look around to know everyone’s eyes were on them. Her heart was pounding like a drum, and her steamed lips were starting to get dry. She didn’t dare blink or else risk losing her life right here and now.
> 
> In the sea of all her fear and doubt, another part of her found all this humorous. After all she had done, all that was done to her over the years, she was about to die over some stupid squabble she could have easily avoided. Well, she was morbidly curious to see how many she would take with her before she went. Her frown turned slowly turned into a smile as she got ready to for the fight of her life.
> 
> “It’s okay, Grillbz.” Undyne nearly leapt from her seat when the monster spoke up right next to her, and even Grillby flinched as if just as surprised as she was. “Put it on my tab, along with a bottle of the good stuff and whatever she’s having.” He pointed at her with a bony thumb.
> 
> She turned with her eye wide open to see Sans sitting to her left. Where did he even come from? One moment the seat was empty, the next there he was, bailing her out. He looked like he just got out of bed, sitting with only his red T-shirt and his favorite toothy grin. The latter went well with his golden tooth which flashed every time he turned his head. His tone was cheery and nonchalant, like he was here having a pleasant chat with an old friend. And he had the audacity to suggest that old friend was her.
> 
> Her surprise quickly gave way to her usual irritable demeanor and she pointed accusingly at him. “What’s the big idea, Sans?” Her words were coated with venom. “I don’t need your charity you little grunt.”
> 
> Sans didn’t seem to take offense to her insult. If anything, it seemed to amuse him more. He really had a remarkable ability of making her want to tear off that damned skull off his thin little neck.
> 
> “Charity?” He asked. “Nah, nah, nothin’ like that. You’re Captain of the Royal Guard. Think of it more as my unconventional way of payin’ my taxes.” It was a lie, obviously. While the Royal Guard were tax collectors, every penny went to Asgore and whatever means he deemed to use it with. All the Guard got were kingly demands, cheap food and a roof over their head. His attempt at being cute fell on deaf ears.
> 
> Before she could protest again, however, Grillby had a plastic bottle of mustard set in front of Sans. He winked at the bartender. “Thanks, Grillbz.” He wasted no time, already squeezing the contents into his open mouth and sighing contently. “Sweet sweet Mustardshine.” He glanced at the crack from Undyne’s earlier outburst. “Hey, bet there’s more sake out back. How’s bout you go check, yeah?”
> 
> And Undyne thought _she_ was forward. Here Sans was talking to Grillby like he owned him. She expected the bartender to burn the skeleton to a crisp like she almost did, but instead he walked out back without another word. She narrowed her eye at Sans while he kept on drinking his cheap condiment. It certainly wasn’t his charm alone that kept Grillby’s fury at bay, so she had to wonder what kind of history the two of them had.
> 
> Instead, her mind came back to his suspicious act of heroism just moments ago. “Why did you do that?” She asked.
> 
> “Meanin?’” He spilled a few drops of mustard on his cheekbones, which he unceremoniously wiped with his hand and smudged on the bottom of his shirt.
> 
> Undyne grit her teeth, infuriated he was making her ask out loud. “Why’d you… bail me out like that?” She leaned forward and spoke in a whisper, hopeful no one could hear. If anyone could, no one seemed interested in anything she and Sans had to say to each other. Whatever trivial things they were talking about before she came in seemed to come up, though there was an occasional shifty glance directed at her from a distance.
> 
> Sans scratched the edge of his eyesocket while he kept on drinking. He looked at his wrist as if to check the time, even though she had never seen him wear a watch in his life. His eyes wandered lazily to the back of the bar. “You know what answer goes with almost every question?”
> 
> Undyne found it supremely annoying when someone answered a question with another question, but she was curious enough to humor him. She let him continue.
> 
> “’Not today.’” He answered. He saw the frown on her face and chuckled. “Nah, I’m serious. ‘When’s Christmas?’ Not today. ‘When are you gonna pick up your sock?’ Not today. ‘Is it that time of the month?’” He waved his hand ceremoniously. “Not today.”
> 
> Undyne was beginning to lose her patience. “Is there a point to this?”
> 
> “Yeah.” Sans nodded and squirted some more mustard into his mouth. She would have thought the bottle would be almost empty by now. He glanced at her and shrugged. “I come in here often, ya know. Gotta get away from the Boss every now and then, sure you know the feelin.’” She didn’t confirm or deny the statement. “So, anyway, I come in, see you and Grillbz glaring at each other like someone’s about to get killed, I ask myself. ‘Do I wanna see Undyne get killed over some stupid crap in some even crappier bar? In my own home?’” He unfastened the cap and poured the yellow liquid down his mouth. He slammed the bottle after finishing with a sigh. “Not today.”
> 
> The back door opened and Grillby walked in with another bottle of sake. He set the bottle in front of Undyne, still eyeing her through his specs. Without another word, he set a fresh bottle of mustard in front of Sans and returned to work.
> 
> “’Preciate it Grillbz.” Sans said before guzzling down the next bottle.
> 
> Undyne wasn’t sure how to respond. Her usual venomous persona somehow didn’t seem appropriate. What else did she have though? It dawned on her how few people she had talked to in her life. The only people who did either hurt her or threatened her or were someone she couldn’t trust with who she really was. And here Sans was, confessing he saved her life for no other reason than that he felt like it.
> 
> How could she possibly trust that? She wasn’t about to let some arrogant skeleton tear down the walls she spent years trying to build.
> 
> “Oh, speakin’ of Boss, forgot to mention.” Sans said. “I’m on break right now, but not one of those, uh… official breaks. I’d take it a personal favor if you didn’t mention I was here at this time.” He winked in her direction. “Thanks.”
> 
> He was talking about his brother, Papyrus. The skeleton brothers usually weren’t far from one another and were quick to find each other if they ever became separated. Undyne didn’t think much of him when she first laid her eye on him. Of course, she didn’t think much of anything twelve-thirty am. But he waited outside her house all night, demanding to be allowed as a member of the Royal Guard.
> 
> It was a ridiculous thought to be sure. Royal Guards weren’t “recruited,” they were indoctrinated. Children were either sold by or stolen from their mothers and fathers before their parents either forgot their children or were killed. Undyne had never even learned her own real parents’ names. They’re taken to Asgore where they are trained to become merciless members of the Guard. Then they would take more children to fill their ranks and uphold the king’s law and repeat the cycle.
> 
> Even so, she recognized Papyrus’ strong magical abilities and control of his magic. When she first introduced him to Asgore, the king insisted Papyrus receive due training. She was surprised for sure, but she never asked him why.
> 
> The scar on her face was a reminder never to question him.
> 
> As a guardsman in training, Papyrus quickly gained a medium of respect from the underground citizens. People crossed the street if they ever saw him walking toward them, same way they did when Undyne was on patrol. She could never shake the feeling that one day he might be Captain. And if he ever surpassed her, there was a chance he could overthrow the king himself.
> 
> That thought delighted her and made her push the skeleton hard during their training sessions. He was as hard on his brother as she was on him. But it was obvious Sans just couldn’t keep up with his brother’s energy or his demands. Most of the time he wouldn’t listen unless Papyrus shouted at him and wouldn’t move unless he was threatened. Sometimes, when she noticed things were really heated between them, she’d see a look in his eye she found eerily familiar.
> 
> The same way she knew she looked at Asgore, waiting for the day she would kill him.
> 
> Something came over Undyne then. She didn’t mean to speak up or to ask what she was about to ask. It only just slipped out. Whether out of a sudden, insatiable curiosity or because she was already getting drunk, the next words out of her mouth came out as clear as air.
> 
> “Do you hate your brother?”
> 
> Sans sounded as if he almost choked on a mouthful of mustard, and he might have done so had he the lungs to physically do so. After coughing out specs of mustard on the table, he began to chuckle.
> 
> “Wow.” He said while wiping the table with his sleeve. “You really can be as blunt as a brick sometimes, ya know that?”
> 
> Now it was Undyne’s turn to grin. Here was a crow, calling a raven black. “Well?”
> 
> “Why do you wanna know?” You could just barely hear the irritation creeping in his voice. “What’s my personal life to you?”
> 
> “I could ask you the same.” This time her tone was less forceful than it was almost challenging. “Come on, do you hate your brother or not?”
> 
> Sans regarded her with his usual sly smile, although now it was accompanied by a curious look in his sockets. Obviously, he was debating whether he should say anything or ignore her question. Finally, he shrugged his shoulders.
> 
> “Fine.” He said. “Welp, the short answer is, I don’t hate the boss.” Undyne wasn’t sure what answer she had expected. She also wasn’t sure whether he would be telling her the truth. Not like she ever gave him any reason to. Regardless, she let him continue. “I certainly don’t love him either. He’s abusive, full of himself, a total idiot even if he tries to convince people he’s not, I could call him anythin’ but a child of god.
> 
> “He’s not exactly good company, you understand. But then, who is. I don’t really have friends around here, ‘cept for Grillbz maybe. Though he’s not much for conversation anyway. Ain’t that right, Grillbz?” As though to prove his point, Grillby made no move to respond or even suggested he heard Sans. Sans’ grin grew wider. “Yup. So, like it or not, all I’ve got is family. And the only family I have is my brother. Sure, he’s awful and can be unbearable to be around sometimes – okay, all the time – but he’s all I’ve got. Got nothin’ if I don’t got Paps.”
> 
> He squeezed a mouthful of mustard into his mouth and sighed. He seemed drained after talking so much about his personal life, exhausted even. For the first time, Undyne felt like someone poured their heart out for her, even if his heart was as black as all the others. If he could do it, why couldn’t anyone else?
> 
> Why couldn’t she?
> 
> “But, speakin’ of people we hate and all,” Sans put on his sly persona back on as smoothly as a mask. “how do you feel about _your_ boss?”
> 
> Undyne wished she could bite her own tongue off. No one – much less members of the Royal Guard – could voice displeasures towards their king. Of course, she hated him and fantasized many creative ways of ending his life. But to even suggest any of them allowed risked even more creative ways for her to die.
> 
> It was as if Sans could read her mind like a book, because he suddenly started to chuckle loudly. “Come on, it’s no secret if everyone knows it. Everyone and their mothers hate the guy. And you’re practically his right hand, with the displeasure of seein’ him almost every day. I’ve done enough complainin’, you should vent a little. You’ll feel better.”
> 
> Whatever reason Sans had in trying to goad her, she had to remain silent. All her discipline was put to the test. What she said next could very well determine whether she lived or died. The worst of it was, she _was_ tempted to vent.
> 
> Every day her life hanged on her precise actions. And whenever Asgore was around, it was like she couldn’t control her body at all. After the years of torment as a child, it was like he could now move her with invisible strings and make her do and say whatever pleased him. She couldn’t cry or scream about it, not even alone.
> 
> “I can’t.” She reached for the sake bottle and drained it in seconds. It would be her last bottle since she couldn’t afford to get drunk. Her hands slipped into their gauntlets and she tightened the straps until they were a snug fit.
> 
> “Thanks for the drinks.” Her eyepatch slipped back around her neck and she slipped on her helmet. She turned and made quick strides for the door.
> 
> “Wait, Undy-“
> 
> The door shut behind his call. Undyne’s breath created a fog under the chill air. Why did she even have to come here? Why did that stupid skeleton come in? Why did she ask him about his stupid damned brother?
> 
> Damn him. Damn both of them. What gave them the right complain to her?
> 
> She was the only one who was truly alone.


End file.
